{"id":25040,"date":"2022-05-03T14:59:06","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T14:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalcorner.org\/?post_type=blog&p=25040"},"modified":"2023-09-04T14:01:23","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T14:01:23","slug":"what-do-giraffes-eat","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/animalcorner.org\/blog\/what-do-giraffes-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"What do Giraffes Eat?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Giraffes are herbivores<\/a>, which means that they only eat plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their diet consists mostly of leaves from trees and bushes, but they will also eat flowers, fruits, and even roots. Giraffes use their long necks and tongues to reach high up into trees to find the tastiest leaves. They also enjoy munching on the lower leaves that other animals can’t reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes in captivity are generally fed on alfalfa hay and pellets, apples, carrots, bananas and browse (elm and alder are favourites).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes live in habitats where the available food varies throughout the year. During the dry season, giraffes eat evergreen leaves, however, once the rainy season begins, they switch to new leaves and stems that sprout on deciduous trees. Also, twigs and branches are pulled into the mouth of the giraffe with their long and dextrous tongues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How much do giraffes eat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes<\/a> consume about 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of vegetation each day! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes spend most of their time eating\u2014about 12 to 15 hours per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the wild giraffes can eat up to 66 kilograms of food daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What else do giraffes eat besides leaves?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fruits and flowers make up a small part of a giraffe’s diet\u2014usually only 2 to 5 percent. On occasion, giraffes have been known to eat other things such as flowers, fruits, roots, and even twigs. Giraffes are also known to eat termites and other insects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How much water do giraffes drink?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes are known to drink a lot of water in order to meet their high daily nutritional needs. They typically drink about 10 liters of water per day, but will sometimes drink even more in hot or dry conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How do Giraffes Drink?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"giraffe-drinking-9244518\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

When it comes to drinking water, giraffes are very unique animals. Instead of bending their long necks down to the ground to take a drink, they often spread their legs apart and lower their heads in between them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This allows them to get their mouths closer to the water so they can drink more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What do baby giraffes eat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Baby giraffes are known as calves. They are born weighing about 150 pounds (68 kilograms) and are about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. For the first six months of their lives, calves drink their mother’s milk. After that, they begin to eat leaves and other plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time they are one year old, they are eating the same things as their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What do giraffes eat in the wild?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Giraffe\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the wild, giraffes eat a variety of different plants, including leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots. They use their long necks and tongues to reach high up into trees for the tastiest leaves and other foliage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The giraffe primarily eats the leaves and twigs of acacia, mimosa, and wild apricot trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How do Giraffes Eat?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes eat by grasping branches with their long, prehensile tongues, and pulling them into their mouths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes long tongues, which measure about 18 \u2013 20 inches long<\/a>, act like a hand and allow the giraffes to grab hold of leaves and twigs and drag them into its mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like cows<\/a> and goats<\/a>, the giraffe is also a ruminant animal<\/a> which means they have a four part chamber stomach. Giraffes chew their food, but later regurgitate it, chew it again and then swallow it. It is only after the food has been swallowed for the second time that it passes through the four stomach chambers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their height allows them to spot leaves and other sources of food that are out of reach for most other animals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the myth, giraffes do not drink from trees. Instead, they bend down to the ground to drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Do giraffes have any natural predators?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes do not have many natural predators due to their large size and strength. However, lions and hyenas will sometimes try to attack a lone or elderly giraffe. Young giraffes are also vulnerable to attacks from leopards and crocodiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, giraffes are well-adapted for their herbivorous lifestyle and can be found in a wide variety of habitats throughout Africa. With their long necks and tongues, they are able to easily access the leaves, fruits, and other plants that make up their diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giraffes are also able to drink a large amount of water each day, which helps them stay hydrated in hot and dry conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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